River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-09-08
Symposium on High License.
By MARY ALLEN WEST.

regarding the workings of high licens e
in different parts of the country, and
here give the results of these investi-
| cations. AS Nebraska and Illinois are
the two states where high license has
been most earnestly defended, espec-
tally by Christian men who honestly
think it the solution of the temperance
problem, we give special prominence to
testimony from these states.
Mr.. II. w. Hardy, ex-mayor of Lin.
coin, Nebraska, is the first witness we
call to the stand. His testimony has
the greater weight from the fact that
he was an advocate for high license,
working hard to secure it, but was
converted by his experience as an
official in trying to enforce it. We give
his letter entire:
HIGH LICENSE AND PARTNERSHIP WITH SA-
Looms. Eight years ago the city of
Lincoln adopted high license. Their
| charter would not allow them to pro.
hihit. A thousand dollar tax was
thought next to it, but oh! how mis-
taken. 1t lessened the number of
saloons from twenty. three to five, but
did not lessen the sales of liquor; on
the contrary it rather stimulated sales.
Like cutting oft the dogs tail the
nutriment went to the dog instead of
to the useless tail. The dog was more
| lively.
Pruning stimulates growth, so the
| saloon keeper is stimulated to push his
trade for all there is in it. Five of the
same saloon keepers continued, and
some of them the very worst ones,
providing there can be any difference
in rotten eggs. Those FIVE saloons have
grown to twenty-five while our city has
only grown from ten to twenty thous-
and.
There is no more respect for the law
| than before, in fact, less. They think
they pay dear for their franchises and
are bound to have them all. Men get
| drunk, boys get drunk, women get
drunk, they fight, stab and shoot each
other just as they did before. Vice
and crime are on the increase, just as
they always will be, unless the saloon
keeper is choked off. Drunkards'
homes, crying wives and ragged child
rem can be found on every street, Men
high up in the walks of life, stagger
across cur social circles.
Their liquor is just as poisonous as
ever. A half pint kills healthy boys
within twelve hours, and has done it
right here in this county.
There was just as much opposition
| to high license, at first, in Nebraska as
there is to prohibition in Iowa. All
| river cities have the same disease. A
law and order league has been organ
lied in several of the large cities but
they have not "ordered" any yet. The
| question has been asked, IF whiskey
is good for men why is it not good for
bOys!' IF good at noon why is it not
good at midnight and on election days!"
eff good for white men why is 1t not
good for Indians!'
But the beauty of high license is,
the people get half the profits of the
| trade. That sweetens all the bitter
pangsj puri1es all the cOrrupting
streams, and turns the most internal
darkness into heavenly light. When
you see a father weeping over drunk
en- son tell him to flee at once and enter
into partnership with the man that
sells him liquor aud it will be all
right.
Think of il, how easily that twenty
| five thousand dollars are brushed into
the school treasury every year. Then
think of the blisters on the teachers
that receive that money. Better set
them to fumbling after diamonds in
the bOttomless pit. Twenty-Five schools
of hell furnish money to run the schools
of this Christian people. Shamei The
| lottery money OF New Orleans is sweet
scented compared to saloon money.
Why not try licensing pOlygamy,
| fighting, the publishing of OBJ
scene books and pictures!
Wouldn't we get lots of school money
out of the Mormons. lots of gate money
at every fight and lots of copyright
money! Gambling, prostitution and
| dueling would contribute their share.
| And when all of these things are nicely
running what wouli be the use of liv-
ingl Better sell out this earth to the
devil for an addition and let him ex-
tend his fire works.
Lincoln, Neb., Dec. 20, 1855.
Similar testimony is borne by bust
ness men in various parts of Nebraska,
where the state law fixes license at one
thousand dollars.